Mining machine truck



Sept. 4, 1934, E. F. MULLER MINING MACHINE TRUCK Filed March 19, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l v y nm-iii E. F. MULLER MINING MACHINE TRUCK sept. 4, 1934.

Filed March 19, 1932 5 Sheets`Sheet 2 il! MHH y /NVEN-l'oR: Erns F Mul/eramn-Mgw,

HTT'Y Sept. 4, 1934.

E. F. MULLER MINING MACHINE TRUCK Filed March 19. 1932 3 Svhee-ts-Sheet 3 zei' HTT'Y Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED STTE TNT FFQE MrNmo infiamma TRUCK Ernst F. Muller, Columbus, Ohio, assigner to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporaion of Ohio Application March 19, 1932, Serial No. 599,964 25 claims. (el.` 10o-161) My invention relates to improvements in truck which is provided with wheels 9, 9 for traveling mechanism which are adapted to transport a on the mine track 10. Thefront and rear axles mining machine from place to place in a mine, 11 and 12 of the truck may be geared together particularly a mining machine of the type adaptby means of the sprocket chain 13 as shown in ed to be operated by sliding the same by means Fig. l. A brake le may be associated with one 6()Y of rope gearing on its own bottom over the mine of lthe wheels 9 as shown in Fig. l. The brake bottom during cutting operations. le may be operated by means of .the lever 16 Oneof the objects of the invention is the proshown in Figs. 1 and 2 as being connected through vision of improved and eiiicient means for loading the transverse shaft 17 to the adjustable link 18. and unloading the mining machine onto aftransv- The brake may be held applied as illustrated at 65 porting truck and from the same. 19 in Fig. 1.

A further object of the invention is the provi- During transportation of the truck, gearing 20 sion of loading and unloading mechanism on a connected to the kaxle 12 may be relied on to mining machine truck to enable the loading and operate the cable reel 21 when the clutch 22 is unloading of a mining machine with a minimum thrown in. 70 head room. When the mining machine 23 of the type above More particularly it is the object o1 the present referred to is mounted on the truck as shown in invention to provide mechanism onamining ma- Fig. 2 a take off sprocket 24 may be connected by chine truck for loading and unloading a mining meansI of a sprocket chain diagrammatically ilmachine by moving the same horizontally ofi the lustrated at 25 to a sprocket wheel 26 on the rear 75 truck during unloading and onto the truck duraxle 12 of the truck. By controlling the electric ing loading so that tilting will occur on such an motor on the mining machine 23 the sprocket 24 axis as to require minimum head room and theremay be rotated to transmit power to the axles 11 fore enabling the loading and unloading to take and 12 Vof the truck. The truck propelling 25 place in a low roof mine. Y mechanism may therefore be operated by the mo- 80 Other objects of the invention will occur here-` tor ci the mining machine 23 and during transinafter, the novel features and combinations beportation of the truck with the mining machine ing set forth in the appended claims. thereon the electric cable for the motor may be In the accompanying drawings paid out or wound up by rotation of the cable 3G Fig. 1 is a plan View of a loading and unloadreel 21. 85 ing mining machine truck embodying the fea- Pivoted at 25' to the forward end of the truck tures oi' my invention; 8 is sectional guiding mechanism 27 comprising a Fig. 2 is an elevational View of the mining mahorizontal skid 28 and an auxiliary' skid 29. chine truck with a mining machineV thereon and The truck 8 isprovided with lateral longitudithe parts in position for transportation in a nal guides 30, Boas shown in Fig. 1. The hori- 90 mine; zontal-skid 28 islikewise provided with guides Fig. 3 iS an elevatiODal View SlOWng the 1305i- 31, 31 which are in alinement with the guides tion of the mining machine en the improved min- 3o, se when the 2e is in horizontal position. i'ng machine truck at the time that the forward When the sprocket chain 25 is removed from end of the mining machine is tilted downwardly; me sprocket 24 one of the ropes of the mining 95 Fg- 4 S al1 enlarged elevational View of the machine 2S may beunreeled from the rope drum forward end of the unloading mechanism shown 32 and its free end connected to an anchorage in in Fig. 3; the mine extraneous to the truck and in advance Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation on the of the mine track l0. Now upon operating the line 5-5 0f Fig. 4100k11g ll the dleCOl O the motor ofthe mining machine 23 to rotate the 100 arrows; Y rope drum 32 the mining machine may be pulled Fig. 61S a detached view of the forward end 0f off the truck 8 while the brake le is applied t0 the unloading mechanism showing the position of the brake pulley 9 to hold the truck stationary or the partsbefore a mining machine is moved onto anchored on the vmine track. 5@ the loaderor oil the same; and t should be particularly noted that the sec- 105 Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached sectional View of tional skid 27 is pivoted at 26 intermediate the the structure as shown in Fig. 2 while in travelends ofthe horizontal skid 28. The guides 30, 30 ing position or in position for transportation in vremain in alinement with the guides 31'y 31 until the mine, the mining machine 23 is in the positionshown Referring to Fig. 3, 8 designates the truck' in Fig. Swhen the center of gravity of the mining 110 machine and the skid on which it is then mounted, is in advance oi the pivot 26'.

It is desired to guide the mining machine along the horizontal skid 23 in a horizontal path so that when the mining machine is tilted to the position shown in Fig. 3 the rear upper end of the mining machine will move along a relatively small are. in other words, by advancing the mining machine 23 along a horizontal path so that its rear end Will be closer to the pivot 26 before tilting occurs, the height to which the rea-rend ci the mining machine reaches Will be lessene l therefore provide an auxiliary skid 29 and mechanism associated therewith for holding the skid 23 horizontal to delay the tilting of the mining machine in the unloading operation until the rear end of the mining machine is closer to the pivot 25. f

The auxiliary skid 29 isV pivoted at 30 to the horizontal skid 28, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Extending forwardly from the horizontal skid 28 are two spaced-apart hearings 28, 28 as shown in Fig. 5. Il shaft 3l is provided With enlarged extensions 32 concentric therewith and journaled in the bearings 28', 23. i

To the outer ends of the enlargements 32', 32 ar-e eccentrically connected the operating shafts 33, 33 to which are 1keyed the sleeves 34. To one of these sleeves 34 is secured an operating arm or lever 35. The sleeves 34, 34 are journaled in the bearings 36 which are integral with orV rigidly secured to the upright arms 29',Y 29 of the auxiliary skid 29.

At opposite sides of the forward end of the horizontal skid 23 mounted springs one of which is shown in elevation at 37 in Fig. 6. The rear end of this spring engages the standard 38 xed to the horizontal skid 23. The spring surrounds a rod 39 the rear end of which extends through an opening in the standard 38 and is screw threaded to receive the adjusting nut and the lock nut 41. The forward end of the rod 39 is secured to the head 42 which is pivoted to the cross pin 43 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Since the pins 43, 43 are mounted in the upright 29', 29 the springs 3'7, being compression springs, urge the auxiliary skid 29 into angular relation With the horizontal skid-23 when the auxiliary skid is released and free to move on its pivot 39.

It should be particularly noted that the auxiliary skid 29 is mounted to swing either on the pivot 3OYor on the pivot 43. When the lever 35 is in the position shown in Fig. 6 the eccentric pin 33 has such relation to the enlargements 32 as to enable the springs 37 to swing the auxiliary skid into the angular positionshown in Fig. 6. By moving the lei/er 35 130 from the position shown in Fig. G, the eccentric pin 33 will remain in fixed relation to the horizontal skid 28. The enlarge1nents32' will then-act as eccentrics to swing the auxiliary skid 29 on the pivot 43 to the traveling position shown in Figs. 2 andl '7. This movement of the auxiliary skid 29 from its position in Fig. 6 to its position in Figs. 2 and '7 may be made Without compressing the springs 3'7, and

may therefore be accomplished with little effort.

n the unloading operation the truck with thek mining machine thereon travels along the mine track l0 with the auxiliary skid in traveling position as shown in 2 and '7 lout before the haulage rope extending irom the winding drum 32 is pulled to remove the mining machine from the truck the lever 35 is swung from its position shown in Fig. 2 to its position shown in Fig. 6. The toe 44 of the auxiliary skid vvill then engage the floor 45 of the mine chamber in advance'of the mine track. Now upon applying the brakes 14 to hold the truck stationary the mining machine may be pulled along the guides 30 and 3l and by reason of the springs 3'? acting between the auxiliary skid 29 and the horizontal skid 28 the latter will be held horiaontal until the counterbalancing action of the springs 3'? is overcome by the center of gravity or the mining machine advancing suiiciently beyond the pivot 26. It will thus he seen that the sectional unloading guideway having the yielding flexible joint enables the mining machine to be unloaded in a very low roof chamber. For instance, in Fig. 3 the roof or the mine chamber may heY as 10W as that indicated at 46 because before the mining machine tilts on the pivot 26 to its position shot-vn in Fig. 3 the rear upper end of the mining machine will be Well advanced to shorten the arc of such upper rear end oi the mining inachine on the pivot 26.

Similar advantages are obtained in loading the mining machine onto the transporting truck. Thehaulage rope extending from the rope drum 32 may be connected to either hook 47 on the auxiliary skid 29. During this ytime the lever 35 occupies the position shown in Fig. 6 so that the skid 28 will be held in horizontal position with its guides 3l in alinement with the guides 30 and the toe 44 in contact with the floor 45. 'When the mining machine has been pulled to a position near the sectional skid the haulage rope may be extended between the guides 30, 3l on one side and the guides 39, 3l on the other side of the truck to the anchorage shown at 43 in Fig. l. Now upon continuing tliepull on the haulage rope the mining machine is moved onto the skid 28 to its position shown in Fig. 3. During the hauling of the mining machine onto the skid 23 the springs 37 are compressed and the sectional skid collapsed into the position shown in 3. The springs 37 being under compression act to urge the toe 44 against the hoor 45.

When the center oi gravity of the mining niachine reaches a certain relation to the pivot 26 the springs 3'? effect a tilting of the skid 28 to horizontal position on the pivot 25 before the upper rear end of the mining machine extends to any higher position than that shown in Fig. 3. lin the loading oper tion, therefore, the springs 37 act to advance the time when the center of gravity or" the mining machine acts to tilt the mining machine to a horizontal position. After the mining machine is tilted to its horizontal position it may be drawn back to its transporting position shown in Fig. 2 and then by shifting the lever 35 to the position shown in Fig. 2 the auxiliary skid 29 will be in traveling position.

The springs 37 will be under compression at all times and the amount of compression regulated by reason of the nuts 40, 4l, but it should be understood that when the skid 29 is moved from its position shown in Fie. 6 to its traveling position shown in 7 the compression of the springs 37 is not increased because the swinging upwardly of the toe 44 by means oi the lever 35 is on the pivot 43 which remains at the same distance from the standard 33 in Fig. 7 as the distance shown in Fig. 6. The continuity of the lateral edges of the main and auxiliary guides remains interrupted at 49 in the traveling position shown in Fig. 7. The interrupting spaces are Wider as shown at 50 in Fig. 6 but when the sectional exible loading and unloading guiding mechanism is 'collapsed or straightened out by the weight of the mining matiki;

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chine thereon as shown in Fig.v 3,7the gaps or spaces between the lateral edges of the guides are closed.

It should also be noted that when the'mining machine unloaded, the springs 37 will act to cushion the tilting of the machine from its horizontal position and cause such tilting to take place gradually instead of suddenly when the center of gravity passes over the pivot 26. In theloading operation the movement from inclined position oi the mining machine to horizontal position will also be gradual. A

In some instances the ground or floor 45 in ad-v vance of the mine track may not be suiciently hard to prevent the toe 44 from sinking down durthe loading or unloading operations. VWhen oor in advance of the mine track is relatively soft an iron or steel rod or pipe may be inserted through the holes 51 in the vertical plates 52 which depend from opposite edges of the auxiliary skid 29 and such rod or pipe be 'permitted to project beyond the sides of such auxiliary skid. The vertical plates 52 may be connected by the reinforcing pipe 53 as shown in Fig. '7.

With this arrangement the truck should be so positioned on the mine track 10 that the cross rod or pipe in the holes 51 will be above the rails. Then when the skid 28 is tilted down a very firm foundation for the auxiliary skid will be afforded by the rod or pipe engaging the forward end portions ci the rails or" the mine track during loading and unloading operations of the mining machine. Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangementof parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and I wish therefore not to be' restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of'iny invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l.. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck, of a skid connected thereto, and means connected to skid for yieldingly holding the outer end thereof elevated until the center of gravity oi a mining machine moved from the truck onto said skid tilts the skid down by causing means to yield. n

2. In an unloading skid, the combination With a guideway adapted to be connected to the support from which a load is to be removed, of an auxiliary guideway pivoted thereto, yielding means for holding the guidevvays in angular relation until the weight of the load overcomes such means, and mechanism on said auxiliary guideway for carrying a` cross-support in position to engage the rails of a mine track. Y

3. In unloading apparatus, the combination with a pivoted guide support, of an auxiliary ground engaging guide support, and a yielding.

knuckle `ioint between said guideV supports for holding the pivoted guide support horizontal while the other support engages the ground.

4. In unloading mechanism, the combinationV Y oi a pivoted skid having a knuckle joint intermediate its ends, and a spring for holding the joint angular until the load on the skid overcomes the action of said spring and straightens out the skid.

5. An unloading skid comprising pivoted sections, and a spring for holding said sections in angular relation with one section horizontal and the other in contact with the ground until the load overcomes the action of the spring and straightens out the skid.

6. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck, vof a skid pivotally connected theretoand comprising pivotally connected sections, anda spring normally holding said sections in angular relation.

7. In mining apparatus, the combination of an unloading skid comprising pivoted sections, one section being horizontal and the other inclined, and means for holding said sections in angular relation until a predetermined weight thereon straightens out the skid by inclining the horizontal section.

8. In mining apparatus, the combination of a loading and unloading skid comprising pivoted sections, one horizontal and the other inclined,

and means normally'flexing said skid but yielding to a predetermined weight on'the skid to straighten out the same by inclining'the horizontal section and brmging both sections into alinement with each other.

9. In mining apparatus, the combination of a loading. and unloading skid comprising pivoted sections, of yielding means for holding the sections in angular relation, and manually operable means for positively moving the sections into horizontal alinement without interference from said yielding holding means.

10. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck, of unloading guiding mechanism pivotally connected thereto, said guiding mechanism comprising sections pivoted to each other, and a spring for holding the sections in angular relation until the Weight of the mining machine acts against said spring to tilt' the guiding mechanism on its pivot and aligning said sections.

11. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck, of sectional guiding mechanism pivotally'connected thereto, and means between the sections to hold them in angular relation with the pivoted section horizontal and the other section in engagement with the ground until the load moving off the truck a predetermined distance tilts the horizontal section and alines the two sections.

ing machine, of guiding mechanismA pivoted to said truck, and means for holding the receiving portion of said guiding mechanism in substantially horizontal position until-the overbalancing of the mining machine on the guiding mechanism tilts such receiving portion downwardly thereby lowering the necessary headroom for unloading the mining machine. f

14. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck adapted to support and transport a mining machine, of guiding mechanism comprising a horizontal skid pivoted to said truck and a floor engaging extension pivoted to said skid, and a spring to yieldingly hold said skid in horizontal position until the overbalancing weight of the miningv machine overcomes the action .of said spring whereby tilting of thel mining machine with said skid is delayed until the rear end of the mining machine is nearer the pivot between said skid and said truck.

15. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck adapted to supporta mining machine or transportation, of guidingmechanism comprising a receivingy section pivoted to said truck and a floor engaging section pivoted to said receiving section, a spring between said sections forholding them in angular relation, and manually operated mechanism for straightening out the floor section to hold the same up for transportation of the truck.

16. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck adapted to support a mining machine for transportation, of guiding mechanism comprising pivotally connected sections, a spring for 'normally holding said sections in angular relation, and an abutment vfor positively limiting the straightening out of said sections relative toeach other.

1'?. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck adapted to support a mining machine for transportation, of guiding mechanism comprising two sections pivotally connected at a predetermined axis, a spring between said sections, and means comprising eccentric mechanism for straightening out the. sections independently of said spring and another axis spaced from said first-named axis.

i8. In apparatus for unloading from trucks, the combination with guiding mechanism comprising two sections, oi a pivotal connection between said sections, a spring between said sections, a pivotal connection between said spring and one oi said sections, and eccentric mechanism associated with said rst-named pivotal connection for moving said sections into alinement on the said iirstnamed pivotal connection independently of spring.

19. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck adapted to support and transport a mining machine, ci guiding 'mechanismpivoted to said truck and comprising two sections, a pivotal connection between said sections, a spring between said sections to move the outer section on said pivotal section into ground engaging position while holding the other` section horizontal, a pivotal connection between the outer endy oi said springs and said outer section, and eccentric mechanism for moving said outer section on said last-named pivotal connection to horizontal position for transportation.

2o. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck adapted to support and transport a mining machine, of guiding mechanism comprising two sections, one section being pivoted intermediate its ends to one end of said truck and held horizontal by the weight of one end of said mining machine when on the truck, the other section being pivoted to the outer end of said first-named section, and means for yieldingly holding the said sections in angular relation with the outer section in ground engaging position.

21. In unloading apparatus, the combination lwith a portable support, of guiding mechanism mounted thereon and comprising two sections pivotally connected to each other, one section beingpivotally connected intermediate its ends to one end of said portable support, means between said sectionsA ior holding the cuter section in ground engaging posit-ierland the pivoted section in horizontal position, and manually operable means forholding said sections in alinement with each other.

22. In mining apparatus, rthe combination with a truck, of a skid adapted to be connected'thereto in position to receive a mining machine from the said truck, and automatically operable yielding means holding the skid elevated while the mining machine is moving from its position on the truck to a position on the skid where the center of gravity of the mining machine is beyond the connection between the skid and the truck.

23. In apparatus for loading a mining machine onto a truck, or unloading the same therefrom, the combination with a truck adapted to travel on a mine track, of a skid for receiving a mining machine from the truck, and self-restoring yielding means for holding the outer portion of the elevated during the -rst part or" the movenient of the nihimg machine off the truck.

34. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck, or a skid pivotallv connected thereto and comprising pivotally connected sections, and yieldable means normally holding the said sections inangular relation. l

25. In mining apparatus, the combination with a truck, of a skid pivotally connected thereto and comprising pivotally connected sections, and w self -restoring yielding means normally hoiding the said sections in angular relation.

ERNST F. MULLER. 

